Game apparatus.



, J. P. WILHELM. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DBC.12, 1912.

1,063,233 Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

uRAPH C0..WASH1NGA0N D c J. F. WILHELM.

GAME APPARATUS. 4 APPLIUATION FILED DEU. 12, 1912.

1,063,233, v Patented June 3,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W Y w1* NETE@ @TATE PATENT FFKQE.

JOHN F. WILHELM, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 EDVARID H. YOUNG, OF LOCK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 3, 1913.

To all whom 25 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. VILHELM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Villiamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State' of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to game apparatuses and has particular reference to a ten-pin game apparatus.

The invention aims to provide a game apparatus of the above mentioned character, which will be exceedingly interesting to play and in the playing of which there will be two important factors, to wit, the skill of the operator and the element of chance.

An important object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, easy to operate, cheap to manufacture and durable.

A further object of my invention is to provide a game apparatus of the above mentioned character which is compact in the arrangement of its parts and has novel means to reset the tenpins which have been knocked down.

A further object 'of the invention is to provide all or any suitable number of the ten-pins with a chance device, whereby when the ten-pin 1s knocked down the same may` count for different values depending upon the position that the same assumes in its knocked down position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a side view of the game apparatus complete. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view taken through the body portion or base of the game apparatus, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the game apparatus. Fig. t is a detail section through the body portion or base of the game apparatus, showing the ten-pin in its knocked down position and the manner in which the same is reset, taken on line 1 -41 of Fig. 3, and, Fig. 5 is a detail section Fig. 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the sake of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 6 and 7 designate upper and lower preferably cylindrical shells, which constitute the body portion or base of the apparatus. The shell 7 is telescoped by the shell 6, as shown.

Rigidly connected with the central portion of the upper shell 6 is a hub 8, provided with a depending forked extension or arm 9, which reciprocates within a guide ring 10, which is in turn mounted within an opening formed through the central portion of the lower shell 7, as shown. The guide ring 10 may be connected with the lower shell 7 by any suitable means, such as being glued therein. However, the manner in which the guide ring 10 is held in place is not deemed important as any suitable means may be employed for this purpose which are found satisfactory in the practical construction of the device. The hub 8 may be formed integral with the upper shell 6 or the same may be made separately and rigidly connected therewith by any suitable means. The upper shell 6 is raised or elevated by a vertically swinging lever 11 which is fulcrumed at 12, with its inner end disposed within the forked depending eX- tension or arm 9 and its outer end extending outwardly of the shell 6 in the form of a head or nger engaging portion 13, as shown. The outer end of the lever 11 operates within vertical openings 14 formed through the periphery of the upper and lower shells 6 and 7, as shown.

I1`he numeral 15 designates a central support or mast, provided at its lower end with an extension or trunnion 16, adapted to lit snugly within a pocket 17 formed in the hub 8, as shown. While this is the preferred construction, it is obvious that the mast 15 may be connected with the upper shell 6 by other means.

Freely rotatably mounted or swiveled upon the upper end of the mast 15 is a radially extending arm 18, the same being connected with the mast by a pin 19 or the gui ble element or cord 23 attached to the lower y end thereof, such cord passing through anl opening 24 formed in the upper shell 6. The lower end of the cord 24 is connected with as shown at 2o.

the lower or relatively stationary shell 7, f It is abvious that when the 1 upper or vertically movable shell 6 is ele-y vated, to assume the posit-ion shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the playing ten-pin 222` will be reset or returned to its normal ver` tical position.

rlhe numeral 26 designates obstructing or buffer pins, which are to be securely connect` ,3 ed with the upper shell 6, so that they can;

not be knocked down by the ball 21. A preferred manner of connecting the pins 26 with the shell 6, is shown in Fig. 5. In -this figure, each pin 26 is provided at its lower end or base with an extension or trunnion 30 27, which lits snugly within an opening 28 formed through the shell 6.

Attention is called to the fact that the obstructing orf buffer pins 26 are preferably diametrically arranged. be advisable to state a little of the operation ot the game apparatus. The playing ten- At this point, it is believed to pins 22 =are knocked down by the striker ball 21, the same being tossed or set in motion to swing 1n a circula-r path. llVhen the game apparat-us is bein-g played by an .unskillful operator, the striker ball during its circular l movement will engage with -either or both; of the obstructing or buffer pins 26, `tlius being stopped before it has :knocked downany or all of the playing pins 22.

Now If have found, that by arranging the obstructing or buffer pins 26 diametrical'ly, there be` i ing preferably only two `of such obstructing or buffer pins, a .skilled operator may so toss or throw the striker ball that it will clear both of the obstructing or butter pins and yet knock down all of the playin-g pins.

This can be done by tossing or throwing the striker ball y21 so that it will vfirst strike Athe or bui-Ier pin 26, which is in turn adjacent to the operator.

pin 22 next to or adjacent the obstructing lVhen this is done the` striker ball 21 partakes of two movements,

to wit, first, -a circular horizontal movement adjacent the pins and a slight vertical move- 1 ment in the arc of .a circle t-he lowermost` point in which will be, upon one side ofthe board, at the first playing pin-22 aimed at,

and upon the opposite side of the `board atl the playing pin diametrically opposite the said playing pin aimed at. It is thus seen that when the striker ball 21 clears the lirst obstructing or buffer pin 26 it will also clear the diainetrically oppositely arranged obstructing or buffer pin. By this construc tion, a ygame apparatus is provided which can be played with decided degrees of suc` cess depending upon the skill of the operator.

In addition to the skill of the operator as a factor in the successful playing of the game, it is desired to provide an element of chance in such playing. To do this, each or any suitable number of the playing ten-pins 22 have dice or other chance point indicat` 80 ing devices associated therewith. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, cach of the playing ten-pins 22 has its head made in the form of a die 29, as shown. It is thus seen that when the playing ten-pins 22 are knocked down, the number of points Y made or gained by the operator, will depend, first upon the number of pins knocked down, and second upon the number of points indicated by th-e die 29 connected or cari'ied 90 thereby. It is not desired to restrict the invention to the arrangement of the die 29 upon the upper end of the playing pin. Thilo this is `considered the preferred con` struction, yet it may be connected with the ten-pin at other portions thereof and by any suitable means.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example ofthe same, .and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement kof parts may be resorted to without departing from the :spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined. claims.

Having fully described .my invention, I claim l 1. Ina game apparatus .of the character described, a playing pin, a die permanently connected with the playing pin and means to knock down the playingpin.

2. In a gaine apparatus of the lcharacter described, a play-ing pin having a portion thereof formeel lpolygonal in cross-section and provided with die marks, andmeans to knock down the playing pin.

3. In a vgaine apparatus, .a board, a central upstandiiig mast, afleXible Yelement connected with .the upper-portion .of themast,

a stri-ker ball connected -with the flexible element, and a plurality 4of playing pins having their upper Aends in the form of dice and adapted to be arranged about the central inast in a circle.

4. In a lgame apparatus of the character described, upper .and lower `shells which have telescoping raction, means to etl'ect the telescoping action, a plurality of playing pins mounted upon one of the shells, la flexible element connected with the lower portion of each playing pin and with the relatively stationary shell, and means to knock down the playing pins.

5. In a game apparatus of the character described, a lower relatively stationary shell, an upper vertically movable shell having telescoping action with the relatively stationary shell, a hub connected with the upper movable shell and provided with a depending forked extension, an operating lever having its inner end disposed within the forked extension and its outer end extending outwardly beyond the shells, a pivot support for the operating lever, said hub being provided at its upper end with a socket, a mast provided with an extension to fit within the socket, a flexible element connected with the mast, a striker ball oonnected with the free end of the flexible element, playing pins mounted upon the movable shell, and a resetting flexible element Connected with the lower end of each playing pin and with the stationary shell.

6. In a game apparatus of the character described, a board, a plurality of playing pins mounted upon the board to form substantially a circular group of the same, a pair of obstructing pins disposed within the circular group of playing pins, the obstructing pins in such pair being substantially diametrically oppositely arranged, an upstanding substantially centrally arranged mast, a flexible element connected therewith, and a striker ball connected with the flexible element.

7. In a game apparatus of the character JOHN F. WILHELM.

Witnesses:

TI-Ios. H. HAMMOND, MARION REINHART Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

